What is speaking in tongues? And what is prophecy? Why does the Bible say that prophecy is more beneficial in church than tongues if both are from the Holy Spirit? And what does this supernatural stuff have to do with us today? These are the questions we consider as I continue our series through 1 Corinthians, This is Church.

I continue the series through 1 Corinthians with one of the most all-time well-loved passages of Scripture in history: 1 Corinthians 13, the “love” chapter. We’ll see that this passage isn’t about marriage, but rather about the pathway to spiritual greatness. Why is love the most excellent path to true spirituality? Listen and find out!

“The church is the Body of Christ.” Those words are so familiar, almost too familiar, we sometimes forget the significance of them. As I continue our series through 1 Corinthians, This is Church, we’ll see that just as one Holy Spirit manifests His power through many different gifts, so the one Body of Christ is formed from many different parts, and the church is made up of many different people… but all according to the will and plan of God.

What does it mean to be spiritual? What is true spirituality from the Holy Spirit if God? How do you know what is of the Holy Spirit and what isn’t? These are the questions we tackle as I continue our series through 1 Corinthians.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God…” (Exodus 31:1-3a, NIV)

In Exodus 31, God is giving Moses instructions for building the Tabernacle, the place where the presence of God would dwell among His people. He chose Bezalel, filled him with the Holy Spirit, and gifted him with Spirit-empowered gifts of art and craftsmanship to oversee the work.

Chosen. Is that a word that describes you? How would it make you feel if you knew that God knew you even before you were born? What if we swap out the names in Exodus 31:1-3? Fill in your name like I did below:

Then the LORD said, “See I have chosen Andy son of Tim, the son of Bob, of the Fuqua family, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God.”

How would it make you feel if God Himself spoke those words about you? Loved. Infinitely valuable. Beautiful. Confident. Courageous. Humble. Called. Planned. Special. These are words that come to my mind. God knew you even before He created you. He knew every decision you would make (including the decision to follow Jesus). God chose you, called you, justified you, and has a plan for your future glorification (see Romans 8:28-30). He has given Himself to you, the Holy Spirit to enable you to fulfill your calling, to glorify Christ in your life. If you’ve been chosen, you’ve also been filled.

Living daily by the power of the Holy Spirit begins with understanding who you are as one chosen by the Most High. Let both the joy of the privilege and the weight of the responsibility rest on your soul for a moment. My prayer for this week is that we will walk with both confidence and humility as those who are chosen and filled.

“I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed” (1 Corinthians 1:4-7, NIV).

I have a lot to be thankful for this week! God has answered many prayers in ways that are much more kind and generous than I deserve. I especially am thankful for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and my prayer for this week is that God will grant us every spiritual gift we need to create glimpses of the Kingdom of Heaven through the life of our church, while we wait for the full glory of Christ to be revealed to–and in–us!